Th​eCenter for Urban Health Equity under the Department of Preventive Medicine at ​Rush University Medical Center​ is pleased to announce its establishment through a $10 million grant from the National Institutes of Health over the next five years. Under the NIH’s nation-wide initiative to alleviate health disparities, the Center is conducting rigorous behavioral intervention clinical trials by partnering with health professionals, researchers, community members, and the greater public to reduce health inequities in heart and lung diseases. The clinical trials will investigate heart failure, depression, metabolic syndrome, and pediatric asthma with co-morbid obesity with an emphasis on the role of stress in the disease process. By testing innovative interventions across the spectrum from children to the elderly, the Center aims to improve health outcomes and quality of life. The Center also seeks to empower underserved communities to become active participants in developing interventions through education and training.